Site Mobile Navigation

PULSE: BOITE; The Lights Are the Action

In a city that is suddenly somber, Go, a new nightclub at 73 Eighth Avenue (near 14th Street), offers a gentle antidote. Its interior is suffused with light and color, with none of the exotic Asian woods and thick velvet upholstery typical of bull-market hot spots; instead, there is a stark white space, almost devoid of furniture except for a few white vinyl seating areas atop Plexiglas platforms. The main emphasis at the club, which was last the home of Chicago Blues, is on the lighting system, which can produce an almost limitless combination of colors and requires the attentions of a special light jockey, a k a L. J. ''Changing lights supply the same basic effect as a new coat of paint,'' said Shawn Kolodny, one of Go's owners, who also runs the uptown clubs Cream and Venue. The pared-down look feels similar to downtown New York discos of the 80's, whose atmosphere depended on deft dancing, flashing lights and a booming sound system.

At a pre-opening party on a recent Saturday night, the crowd at Go included Sean Combs and his entourage, Bruce Willis and the cast of MTV's ''Real World.'' Everybody in the small space seemed to like the no-frills vibe. Malik, the cast member of ''Real World'' with a high Afro, arrived in a velour tracksuit. Surrounded by a group of models, he was dancing to Joan Jett's ''I Love Rock 'n' Roll.'' ''Who needs candlelight and Zen waterfalls when you have a dance floor overpopulated with sexy girls getting their groove on?'' he said.

Mr. Kolodny said last week that Go would open full time sometime after the city allowed normal traffic below 14th Street. JULIA CHAPLIN